[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 131 (Friday, September 11, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             APPROVAL OF JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION

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                               speech of

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 10, 2015

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I support the Joint 
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement reached 
between the P5+1 nations and Iran.
  This month marks the 70th anniversary of the nuclear age. The dangers 
of nuclear war remain very real but the path to contain the nuclear 
demon has not been easy. The Iran Nuclear Agreement is the latest 
attempt to reduce the nuclear danger and perhaps one of the most 
complex set of issues ever confronted in shaping an international 
agreement.
  In my judgment this agreement enhances the security of the United 
States and reduces the likelihood of nuclear confrontation in the 
Mideast. Failure to accept the terms of this agreement, on the other 
hand, seems likely to either exclude the United States from a role in 
preventing nuclear proliferation in the Mideast as other nations move 
ahead without us or, more ominously, set the region on a path of 
escalating tensions. I believe either of those last two options are 
unacceptable, and reckless. With determination, patience and U.S. 
leadership, this agreement has the potential of opening the door to 
further agreements on non-nuclear security issues.
  No agreement is perfect and no agreement will fully satisfy everyone. 
Agreements negotiated with our adversaries by their nature mean that we 
are seeking to achieve our security goals by diplomatic means not by 
imposing our will by military means. U.S. security experts have 
expressed their support for the agreement as the best option as have 
our nation's nuclear experts. Leading Israeli security experts have 
also voiced their support as have the leaders of many leading U.S. 
Jewish organizations because of their concerns for Israel's security. 
Should our diplomatic efforts in this agreement fail to close the path 
to an Iranian nuclear weapon we would still be in a better position as 
to time and means to choose other options.
  I commend President Obama and Secretary Kerry for their leadership on 
this issue. The stakes for the United States, for the Mideast region 
and for the world are too high for us to miss this opportunity.

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